Washing-machine.



aas AVNLABLE COPY No. 750,4.19` PATBNTBD JAN. 26, 1904. E. V. ALLEN.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1003.

BEST AVAILABLE COPY Patented January 26. 1904.`

PATENT OFFICE.

ICLMlilt VICTOR. ALLEN. OF HlAWA'l'l'lA. FANSAS.

' WASHING- MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 750,419, dated January 26, 1904. Application tiled June 18, 1903. Serial No. 162,126. (No model.)

l'o all. loll/mrt it may concern.:

Be it known that l. Emu-:1t Vle'roa ALLEN. a citizen of the United States, residing at Hiawatha` in the county of Brown and State of Kansas` have invented a new and useful Washiiig-.\iacliinc. of which the following is a specilieation.

This invention relates to machines for washing clothes, and has` for its object to simplify and improve devices of this character and to prod ucc a device. wherein a combined rubbing, pounding, and suction action is produced; and the invention consists in certain novel featu res of construction, as hereinafter shown and describethaml specified in the claims following.

ln the drawings illustrative of the invention. in which corresponding parts` are denoted by like designating characters. Figure l is a vertical sectional elevation. Fig. 2 isa plan view in section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an inverted perspective view of the improved agitator with the conical hood detached. Figs. 4. 5. and (l illustrate modifications in the construction of the agitator.

'lhe receptacle for the clothes is represented at l and may be of any suitable shape or size. either circular. s( uarc. oblong. or other shape and with vertical or inclined sides'. but will preferably be substantially square with inclined side walls, with the to i having a central aperture provided with a liinged cover 11 and wringer-l)racket 12 of the usual construction. lhe side and bottom will preferably be of galvanized sheet metal and the top closure of wood of suitable size and strength. 'lhe receptacle will be supported upon any suitable stand or provided with vlegs of desired length; but as these form no part of the present invention they are not illustrated. l)is posed within the receptacle upon its bottom are radiating rub-bars 13 14. preferably extending diagonally from corner to corner and extendin vertically from the ends of the rubbars, an( spaced from the walls of the receptacle are ribs l5. as shown.

Within the Ieceptacle and extending between its top and bottom are stop-plates 1G 17, preferably oppositely disposed and spaced between the ribs l and extending inwardly toward the center of the receptacle. as shown in Fig. 2. The plates 16 17. like the ribs 15. are spaced from the side walls of the receptacle. so that the water can freely circulate around therein.

Attached upon opposite sides of the cover member 1l are reinforcing-cleats 18 19. through which the agitator-rod 2() is Inounted for longitudinal movement and for oscillation. The outer end of the rod is bent into a handle member 21, while the inner end is formed into oppositely-extending radiating wings. the wings constructed by bending,r the rod into loops 22 and returning the terminal inwardly and connecting it to the rod. as at 23. adjacent to the wings. As Inany of the wings Inay be formed as required; but generally four will be employed for an ordinary washer.

'lhe rod 20 will preferably be provided with an exterior stop 24 to limit its downward movement, which will thus prevent the wings from striking the bars 13 14, while the locking-loop 23 will be spaced from the cover member a suilicient distance to permit the rod to be moved longitudinally to a considerable extent. and thus employ the radiating wings as a pounder." as hereinafter explained.

'l`he wings 22 will preferably be extended sufficiently to overlap the plates 16 17, as shown. so that the rod will not make a full revolution. but be limited by the engagement of the protruding wings with the top plates. as will be obvious. By this simple means clothes will be violently agitated back and forth and thrown against the projecting plates and the water likewise violently agitated and thrown Yforcibly against the ribs l5 and plates lt' 17. and thereby prevented from forming into mere rotating masses, but will be broken into oppositely-moving and opposing currents, which will ell'eetually detach the dirt from the clothes. 'l`he clothes will at the same time beV engaged by the wings 22 and rubbed over the bars 13 14 and against the bars or ribs l5 and plates 16 1T. as will be obvious.4

lnclosing thel wings 22 is a conical shield 25. preferably of galvanized sheet metal and not extending as far as the lower ends of the wings 9.2. but leaving the latter protruding below the lower edge of the shield. as shown. 'lhe shield thus serves to confine the water when IOO BEST AVAlLABLE COPY the rod 20 is moved vertically to enable the device to be etl'ectually employed as a pounder, the wings 22 serving as impact devices to engage the clothes, and the shield 25 producing a suction and drawing the clothes ul'iwardly when elevated and gathering,r the water and driving it forcibly through the clothes` when depressed. By this simple arrangement l'irst a rubbing action upon the bars 13 14 and against the bars 15 and plates 16 17 takes place, caused by the oscillating movement of the rod when the wings are raised to the upper part of the clethos-receptacle, causing the wings to rapidly move the clothes back and forth through the water without pounding, the rubbing on the ribs occurring when the wings are depressed and rotated, then a pounding action, caused by forcibly moving the rod vertically downward, and the alternate suction and propulsion action by utilizing the hood 25, as above described. 'lhe actions thus enumerated may be independently employed and will be found very convenient and efficient in treating different kinds of garments` some requiring one treatment and some another. Some garments, for instance, require the relatively harsh and violent action of the pounding and rubbing', while others of more delicate texture require only the relatively mild suction and propulsion action of the hood member, so that all kinds and qualities of garment may be ellicicntly treated in the same machine and without change of structure or alteration or adjustment of parts.

ln Figs. 4, 5, and 6 slight modifications are shown in the manner of constructing the radiating wings, Fig. 4 representing the rod 20, formed with two of thel looped wings, Fig. 5 representing the winged loops in the form of return-bends, and Fig. 6 representing a pluralityl of corrugations or open loops; but these modilications would not be a departure from the principle of the invention, as the operation and results produced would be substantially the same in all.

Garments or parts of garments requiring special treatmentmay be fastened to the loops of the agitator and be thereby more elliciently agitated or rubbed against the protruding parts. Y

The different actions of the agitator will thus operate dillercntly on different kinds of dirt, as well as on dillerent kinds of garments.

Having thus described the invention. what 1 claim is- 1. In a washing-machine an agitator coniprising a rod extended at one end into a handle and with the other end provided with radiating laterally-extending wings formed by bending the rod into oplositely-dispostal loops with the extremity of the rod returned and fastened to the body thereof between the loops and 'handle portion, substantially as specified.

2. In a washing-machine, an agitator comprising a rod extended at one end into a handle and with the other end provided with radiating wings formed by bending the rod into oppositely-disposed loops with the extremity of the rod returned and fastened to the body thereof between the loops and handle portion, and a conical hood partially inelosing said wing members, substantially as specified.

3. ln a washing-machine. a receptacle for the clothes, a cover member removably connected to said receptacle, in combination with an agitator formed of a rod longitialinally movable through said cover member und extended into a handle exteriorly of the cover and with its opposite end provided with radiating wings formed by bending the rod into oppositely-disposed loops, with the extremity of the rod returned and fastened to the rod between the wings and cover member, and a conical shell connected tothe rod and partially inclosing said wings, substantially as specified.

4. A washing machine comprising the clothes-receptacle, oppositely-disposed stopplates within the receptacle and extending toward the center thereof and spaced from the side walls of the receptacle, and an agitator mounted for oscillation between said plates and having laterally-extended wings adapted to alternately engage said plates, and vertical ribs disposed between said stop-plates and spaced from the walls of the receptacli` to change the direction of the water-currents.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own l havi` hereto allixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EIIER VICTOR ALLEN.

Witnesses:

J. F. Meisasnnmn. ll. W. Haskins. 

